Gonduron wrote on 2022-01-28, 06:40:...Even though (MemMaker) works ok and stable, it does not give you a big plus. QEMM frees up much more conventional memory, but some games do have a problem with it. The latest version released for DOS is v8.x, with the basic release disks v8.00 and update release disks to v8.03.
You can install the final version of QEMM (v9, or "QEMM 97") in DOS, even though it had an additional new installer for Windows. It works in all DOS-based versions of Windows, from Win3 up to WinME. I suggest using a commercial boot mamanger like System Commander to allow you to switch back and forth between pure DOS and 3rd party memory managers (or even completely different operating systems), which allows quick alternatives in case they start giving you problems.
My favorite gaming config:
1. Load up DOS, get all my drivers installed, and then let Memmaker smooth it out (it really does do a far better job than we give it credit for). Do not install any other memory manager yet.
2. Install System Commander and set up a few duplicate pure DOS boot options. This allows other DOS booting options for later, such as adding QEMM, 386MAX, etc.
3. Install Windows 98SE, which becomes another entry in System Commander.
4. Using the spare DOS boot entries you popped into System Commander, now you can install QEMM, 386MAX, etc. Or create even more boot options with different config files to allow DOS to be booted with or without common memory managers for specific games.
Now you have an incredibly flexible and convenient (downright slick) DOS Box that can also run any DOS or Windows game of the time as well as having a pure DOS box with all devices available (sound, mouse, video, CDROM, etc) when you "Shut Down to DOS Mode" in Windows. And when you drop to DOS and do a "mem /c /p", you see that you still have all the memory available that MemMaker set up for you before installing Windows. And that's just in Win98SE, not including the other boot options you might have set up in System Commander. Just remember to keep the hard drive at FAT16 so everything works and plays nice.
This is the most common build config I use for retro gaming boxes for 1990s gaming. It's a very effective method of whipping up a wonderfully decent retro gaming box that can literally do it all, even allowing you to bounce around in different OS's, like DOS, Windows, and even OS/2 (again - keep it FAT16 to do this).
My other option is using swappable Compact Flash and SD cards as hard drives, which basically gives you dirt cheap SSD drives. The IDE-to-CF/SD adapters are also dirt cheap on Amazon. This provides for that much more flexibility, especially if different file systems are wanted or required. Very handy for ArcaOS, any flavor of NT, Linux, etc.
😀
AOpen AX59Pro
K6-2/400MHz
64MB
VIA Chipset
SB16 (CT2910)
S3 ViRGE GX 4MB
DOS/98SE/OS2
CF/SD Drives
MSI K7N2
Athlon XP 3000+
512MB
NVidia nForce 2 Chipset
SB Live! (CT4620)
GeForce 6800GT AGP
98SE/XP/ArcaOS
CF/SD Drives